Judy Alter's Blog, page 341
August 16, 2011
The importance of keeping up friendships
I've known Connie Jenkins since 1965 when my then-husband moved us to Fort Worth so he could do a surgical residency. Russ Jenkins was just finishing that residency and would later be Joel's senior partner in a surgical practice. Fort Worth Osteopathic Hospital was fairly small at the time, and staff and residents socialized a lot. I don't remember much about those early days, except that Joel tried to turn me against Russ and Connie--he didn't much like being supervised and of couse Russ supervised him.
But after Joel left me, with four young children to raise, Russ and Connie became sort of my protectors. I saw them occasionally, though I wasn't included in many osteopathic events. Over the years that changed, and I counted on them to take me so I wouldn't have to go to dinners, etc., alone. We hit all the big events--weddings, anniversaries, banquets, etc. I remember Russ once, at a dinner, coming up behind me (we were seated at different tables). I had finished but everyone else was still eating. "The trouble with you," he rumbled, "is that you ate with Joel Alter too much."
After she retired, Connie, a general practice physician, would call me and we'd meet for lunch. Then Russ began to join us occasionally, and once in a while my 40-year-friend from Granbury, Linda, would meet us. Russ and Connie had known Linda since the day she was born. I once said to Connie that I always had the feeling Russ was looking out for me, and she said, "He was. He didn't think you'd been treated right."
Although I didn't ask Russ to do Colin's hernia surgery--something I regret to this day and attribute to Joel's influence on me--he was enormously supportive as we dealt with Colin's many stomach ailments and finally came up with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Russ was still looking out for me.
The last time I saw him, he was in a wheelchair--it was at my 70th birthday party, and he was hearty and jovial. I remember my kids clustering around him and giving him hugs. Russ died, maybe two years ago, after they had moved to a retirement community in a suburb to the north--too far for me to go easily. But I was at the funeral and kept in touch with Connie by phone.
Today, Linda and I went to Connie's retirement home for lunch. We three had a spirited conversation, increased I suppose by the wine Connie served us in her apartment--at 11:00 a.m., a little early for me. But we had a good visit, joined briefly by Connie's daughter-in-law. We talked of our kids and grandkids, of people we'd known, and all sorts of things. Then we had a marvelous meal in the dining room--as Connie's guests. Far more than I usually eat for lunch but really delicious--and more visiting and laughing.
Linda and I left, amid promises to return soon. The day was wonderfully pleasant, and it made me reflect on the importance of maintaining connections with people. Too many times, friendship seems like work, and we put off calling, writing, that lunch, whatever. Connie was the one at first who persisted and maintained our friendship, and I will always be grateful for that. She's a tough, strong lady, and I'm honored to call her my friend. She's also a hero of mine--for her career, her dedication to her children and grandchildren, her always upbeat attitude in the face of diversity.
I'll go to bed with happy thoughts tonight.
And Linda? She's another story of a good friendship maintained over the years--for another time.
But after Joel left me, with four young children to raise, Russ and Connie became sort of my protectors. I saw them occasionally, though I wasn't included in many osteopathic events. Over the years that changed, and I counted on them to take me so I wouldn't have to go to dinners, etc., alone. We hit all the big events--weddings, anniversaries, banquets, etc. I remember Russ once, at a dinner, coming up behind me (we were seated at different tables). I had finished but everyone else was still eating. "The trouble with you," he rumbled, "is that you ate with Joel Alter too much."
After she retired, Connie, a general practice physician, would call me and we'd meet for lunch. Then Russ began to join us occasionally, and once in a while my 40-year-friend from Granbury, Linda, would meet us. Russ and Connie had known Linda since the day she was born. I once said to Connie that I always had the feeling Russ was looking out for me, and she said, "He was. He didn't think you'd been treated right."
Although I didn't ask Russ to do Colin's hernia surgery--something I regret to this day and attribute to Joel's influence on me--he was enormously supportive as we dealt with Colin's many stomach ailments and finally came up with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Russ was still looking out for me.
The last time I saw him, he was in a wheelchair--it was at my 70th birthday party, and he was hearty and jovial. I remember my kids clustering around him and giving him hugs. Russ died, maybe two years ago, after they had moved to a retirement community in a suburb to the north--too far for me to go easily. But I was at the funeral and kept in touch with Connie by phone.
Today, Linda and I went to Connie's retirement home for lunch. We three had a spirited conversation, increased I suppose by the wine Connie served us in her apartment--at 11:00 a.m., a little early for me. But we had a good visit, joined briefly by Connie's daughter-in-law. We talked of our kids and grandkids, of people we'd known, and all sorts of things. Then we had a marvelous meal in the dining room--as Connie's guests. Far more than I usually eat for lunch but really delicious--and more visiting and laughing.
Linda and I left, amid promises to return soon. The day was wonderfully pleasant, and it made me reflect on the importance of maintaining connections with people. Too many times, friendship seems like work, and we put off calling, writing, that lunch, whatever. Connie was the one at first who persisted and maintained our friendship, and I will always be grateful for that. She's a tough, strong lady, and I'm honored to call her my friend. She's also a hero of mine--for her career, her dedication to her children and grandchildren, her always upbeat attitude in the face of diversity.
I'll go to bed with happy thoughts tonight.
And Linda? She's another story of a good friendship maintained over the years--for another time.
August 15, 2011
May I exchange this day, please?
My day got off on the wrong foot. I got up early because I couldn't sleep and my thoughts were disturbing me. Probably I was grumpy, and my later troubles may have ensued from Sophie picking up on that. Morning routine--feed cat, take puppy out, feed big dog. All done. Fed the puppy in the kitchen, noticed she was sniffing suspiciously, and took her out. Big dog distracted her--no results. Brought her in and she immediately pooped in the kitchen. Finally made it, with puppy and coffee, to the office where I discovered the cat had left not puddles but lakes in "his" bathroom off the office. Closed the door and resolved to deal with it later. Then my email was down--TCU was having server problems. So I decided to put the puppy in her crate and do my chores, including cleaning that bathroom. I scrubbed it from top to bottom, emptied and scrubbed the litter box, and finally scrubbed me. By 9 a.m. when the internet came back up, I was ready to go back to bed.
No such luck--had to go to Petco for supplies and then to a doctor's appointment. Noon, and I was ready to go back to bed once again. Still no such luck. Emails to answer, a talk to prepare, this that and the other to get done. Note: no writing. Yikes! But I finally did put everyone down and get a nap. This is my last week of long afternoon naps. Next Monday I start picking Jacob up every day at three o'clock.
Tonight I'm watching Sophie like a hawk. Took her out for a long while after her supper but nada. I'm thinking the trick may be to put her in her crate--then when I take her out, she's used to going outside to pee. The other is another matter. She settled down for a while--after some scolding about going near wires--to play with her toys as if to say, "Look how good I can be." Now she's running around the office (not that large a space) like a crazy thing, working off all that energy she didn't run off outside tonight.
I've decided creativity is gone for the day. I'm going to read Susan Schreyer's An Error in Judgment.
Did have a nice dinner party last night--the family directly behind me has a 5-year-old boy, Sam, who will be going to kindergarten with Jacob, (and a three-year-old named Alex) so we invited them to supper so the boys could get acquainted, which they did after a few minutes shyness. I fixed crockpot barbecue for ten (including three little boys), baked beans (Bush's are soooo good, though next time I won't try those with maple syrup since they're a bit too sweet), and a potato chip and onion soup dip for appetizer. Susan brought a delicious salad with apples and raisins and spinach, and Sue joined us, so it was a bit like the old neighborhood group. Before I knew it, it was 8:30 and everyone was rushing off to get little ones to bed. Sue said later that she loved having the house so full of "boy energy." The girls--Jordan, Susan and Sue--did much of the basic kitchen clean-up for me, and Jordan took Sophie out. She has consistently been a huge help with Sophie.
A PS to the Sophie story: I decided after she ws so wild, it was a good time to take her out. She pooped, and I praised. Then I walked her around where she usually pees--forever. No result, so I left her alone in the office for two minutes while I got a glass of wine--and she peed. The appropriate end to this day.
No such luck--had to go to Petco for supplies and then to a doctor's appointment. Noon, and I was ready to go back to bed once again. Still no such luck. Emails to answer, a talk to prepare, this that and the other to get done. Note: no writing. Yikes! But I finally did put everyone down and get a nap. This is my last week of long afternoon naps. Next Monday I start picking Jacob up every day at three o'clock.
Tonight I'm watching Sophie like a hawk. Took her out for a long while after her supper but nada. I'm thinking the trick may be to put her in her crate--then when I take her out, she's used to going outside to pee. The other is another matter. She settled down for a while--after some scolding about going near wires--to play with her toys as if to say, "Look how good I can be." Now she's running around the office (not that large a space) like a crazy thing, working off all that energy she didn't run off outside tonight.
I've decided creativity is gone for the day. I'm going to read Susan Schreyer's An Error in Judgment.
Did have a nice dinner party last night--the family directly behind me has a 5-year-old boy, Sam, who will be going to kindergarten with Jacob, (and a three-year-old named Alex) so we invited them to supper so the boys could get acquainted, which they did after a few minutes shyness. I fixed crockpot barbecue for ten (including three little boys), baked beans (Bush's are soooo good, though next time I won't try those with maple syrup since they're a bit too sweet), and a potato chip and onion soup dip for appetizer. Susan brought a delicious salad with apples and raisins and spinach, and Sue joined us, so it was a bit like the old neighborhood group. Before I knew it, it was 8:30 and everyone was rushing off to get little ones to bed. Sue said later that she loved having the house so full of "boy energy." The girls--Jordan, Susan and Sue--did much of the basic kitchen clean-up for me, and Jordan took Sophie out. She has consistently been a huge help with Sophie.
A PS to the Sophie story: I decided after she ws so wild, it was a good time to take her out. She pooped, and I praised. Then I walked her around where she usually pees--forever. No result, so I left her alone in the office for two minutes while I got a glass of wine--and she peed. The appropriate end to this day.
May I exchange this day, please?
My day got off on the wrong foot. I got up early because I couldn't sleep and my thoughts were disturbing me. Probably I was grumpy, and my later troubles may have ensued from Sophie picking up on that. Morning routine--feed cat, take puppy out, feed big dog. All done. Fed the puppy in the kitchen, noticed she was sniffing suspiciously, and took her out. Big dog distracted her--no results. Brought her in and she immediately pooped in the kitchen. Finally made it, with puppy and coffee, to the office where I discovered the cat had left not puddles but lakes in "his" bathroom off the office. Closed the door and resolved to deal with it later. Then my email was down--TCU was having server problems. So I decided to put the puppy in her crate and do my chores, including cleaning that bathroom. I scrubbed it from top to bottom, emptied and scrubbed the litter box, and finally scrubbed me. By 9 a.m. when the internet came back up, I was ready to go back to bed.
No such luck--had to go to Petco for supplies and then to a doctor's appointment. Noon, and I was ready to go back to bed once again. Still no such luck. Emails to answer, a talk to prepare, this that and the other to get done. Note: no writing. Yikes! But I finally did put everyone down and get a nap. This is my last week of long afternoon naps. Next Monday I start picking Jacob up every day at three o'clock.
Tonight I'm watching Sophie like a hawk. Took her out for a long while after her supper but nada. I'm thinking the trick may be to put her in her crate--then when I take her out, she's used to going outside to pee. The other is another matter. She settled down for a while--after some scolding about going near wires--to play with her toys as if to say, "Look how good I can be." Now she's running around the office (not that large a space) like a crazy thing, working off all that energy she didn't run off outside tonight.
I've decided creativity is gone for the day. I'm going to read Susan Schreyer's An Error in Judgment.
Did have a nice dinner party last night--the family directly behind me has a 5-year-old boy, Sam, who will be going to kindergarten with Jacob, (and a three-year-old named Alex) so we invited them to supper so the boys could get acquainted, which they did after a few minutes shyness. I fixed crockpot barbecue for ten (including three little boys), baked beans (Bush's are soooo good, though next time I won't try those with maple syrup since they're a bit too sweet), and a potato chip and onion soup dip for appetizer. Susan brought a delicious salad with apples and raisins and spinach, and Sue joined us, so it was a bit like the old neighborhood group. Before I knew it, it was 8:30 and everyone was rushing off to get little ones to bed. Sue said later that she loved having the house so full of "boy energy." The girls--Jordan, Susan and Sue--did much of the basic kitchen clean-up for me, and Jordan took Sophie out. She has consistently been a huge help with Sophie.
A PS to the Sophie story: I decided after she ws so wild, it was a good time to take her out. She pooped, and I praised. Then I walked her around where she usually pees--forever. No result, so I left her alone in the office for two minutes while I got a glass of wine--and she peed. The appropriate end to this day.
No such luck--had to go to Petco for supplies and then to a doctor's appointment. Noon, and I was ready to go back to bed once again. Still no such luck. Emails to answer, a talk to prepare, this that and the other to get done. Note: no writing. Yikes! But I finally did put everyone down and get a nap. This is my last week of long afternoon naps. Next Monday I start picking Jacob up every day at three o'clock.
Tonight I'm watching Sophie like a hawk. Took her out for a long while after her supper but nada. I'm thinking the trick may be to put her in her crate--then when I take her out, she's used to going outside to pee. The other is another matter. She settled down for a while--after some scolding about going near wires--to play with her toys as if to say, "Look how good I can be." Now she's running around the office (not that large a space) like a crazy thing, working off all that energy she didn't run off outside tonight.
I've decided creativity is gone for the day. I'm going to read Susan Schreyer's An Error in Judgment.
Did have a nice dinner party last night--the family directly behind me has a 5-year-old boy, Sam, who will be going to kindergarten with Jacob, (and a three-year-old named Alex) so we invited them to supper so the boys could get acquainted, which they did after a few minutes shyness. I fixed crockpot barbecue for ten (including three little boys), baked beans (Bush's are soooo good, though next time I won't try those with maple syrup since they're a bit too sweet), and a potato chip and onion soup dip for appetizer. Susan brought a delicious salad with apples and raisins and spinach, and Sue joined us, so it was a bit like the old neighborhood group. Before I knew it, it was 8:30 and everyone was rushing off to get little ones to bed. Sue said later that she loved having the house so full of "boy energy." The girls--Jordan, Susan and Sue--did much of the basic kitchen clean-up for me, and Jordan took Sophie out. She has consistently been a huge help with Sophie.
A PS to the Sophie story: I decided after she ws so wild, it was a good time to take her out. She pooped, and I praised. Then I walked her around where she usually pees--forever. No result, so I left her alone in the office for two minutes while I got a glass of wine--and she peed. The appropriate end to this day.
August 13, 2011
Brand new web page and other stuff
Please check out my new web page at http://www.judyalter.com. It's totally redesigned and features my forthcoming mystery, Skeleton in a Dead Space. One of the things people have so far really liked about it is the pictures of Kelly's neighborhood, Kelly being the main character in the novel. My friend Polly Hooper and I drove around Fort Worth's Fairmount neighborhood one Sat. afternoon while she took pictures. She's also responsible for my new picture on this blog and the web page. Great job, Polly, and many thanks. (She does this as a hobby!) Thanks also to Oscar Brown and his company who designed and will maintain the site. I'd love to have your comments.
Many parts of Texas got blessed rain today. I haven't watched TV for the official measurements or anything but the world was wet and muddy when I got up this morning. It's been so long since rain--BP as in before puppy--that I'd forgotten about the complications of dogs and mud and how much Scoob hates rain. I didn't mind dealing with it, nor did I mind that my newspaper was quite soggy. It rained, mostly just spitting, all morning. Luckily, I'm washable, even my hair--so I don't mind getting wet. The rain lowered the temperature some, but the humidity was so high it felt like a steam bath outside.
Jordan and Jacob came for lunch, and I'm not sure if it's harder to train the puppy or the boy. He wants to give her orders all the time, even when she's not doing anything bad. Today we worked on "If she's jumping on me, let me handle it; if she's jumping on you, then you tell her down." As it was, he was shouting "Down!" all the time. Sophie has truly been a pain today--I fear we'll never get house training done--she understands about outside, but if she has to go she doesn't think about it. She has "favorite" spots in the house. I read in the monks' book about training that you should never let a puppy see you clean up the accident--makes them think you're their housekeeper, and Sophie tends to think it playtime to see if she can grab the paper towel. So now, if I catch her in the act, I roar, rush her outside, by which time she's always forgotten what she wanted to do, and then put her in the crate while I clean up. There goes a chunk of time! She goes from chewing on wires to destroying the bottom shelf of my bookcase to escaping from the kitchen even when I'm working in there.
I did cook today. Made stuffed mushrooms with my mom's recipe for our lunch--had four mushrooms left from something else and Jordan loves them. Simple stuffing:
Grated cheddar
dry mustard
Worcestershire
chopped scallion
mayonnaise to bind
Bake in a moderate oven so the mushrooms will cook before the cheese runs all over the place. The cheese mixture is delicious just on bread, broiled. No, I don't have measurements--it's something you do by gosh and by golly.
Also made barbecue sauce today so that first thing in the morning I can put my chuck roast and the sauce in the crockpot to cook all day. It's a recipe from Cook's Illustrated that I've used before, but this time I couldn't resist substituting dark molasses for dark brown sugar. We'll see.
And today I finally got ground lamb patties at Central Market--they make them with feta and mint, and they are delicious. One of the butchers told me to call ahead and order them, so I did when I ordered the chuck roast. I cooked half a pattie (they're 8 oz. patties) thinking I'd save half of that for lunch tomorrow--no such luck. I ate the whole thing.
Off to read a good mystery.
Many parts of Texas got blessed rain today. I haven't watched TV for the official measurements or anything but the world was wet and muddy when I got up this morning. It's been so long since rain--BP as in before puppy--that I'd forgotten about the complications of dogs and mud and how much Scoob hates rain. I didn't mind dealing with it, nor did I mind that my newspaper was quite soggy. It rained, mostly just spitting, all morning. Luckily, I'm washable, even my hair--so I don't mind getting wet. The rain lowered the temperature some, but the humidity was so high it felt like a steam bath outside.
Jordan and Jacob came for lunch, and I'm not sure if it's harder to train the puppy or the boy. He wants to give her orders all the time, even when she's not doing anything bad. Today we worked on "If she's jumping on me, let me handle it; if she's jumping on you, then you tell her down." As it was, he was shouting "Down!" all the time. Sophie has truly been a pain today--I fear we'll never get house training done--she understands about outside, but if she has to go she doesn't think about it. She has "favorite" spots in the house. I read in the monks' book about training that you should never let a puppy see you clean up the accident--makes them think you're their housekeeper, and Sophie tends to think it playtime to see if she can grab the paper towel. So now, if I catch her in the act, I roar, rush her outside, by which time she's always forgotten what she wanted to do, and then put her in the crate while I clean up. There goes a chunk of time! She goes from chewing on wires to destroying the bottom shelf of my bookcase to escaping from the kitchen even when I'm working in there.
I did cook today. Made stuffed mushrooms with my mom's recipe for our lunch--had four mushrooms left from something else and Jordan loves them. Simple stuffing:
Grated cheddar
dry mustard
Worcestershire
chopped scallion
mayonnaise to bind
Bake in a moderate oven so the mushrooms will cook before the cheese runs all over the place. The cheese mixture is delicious just on bread, broiled. No, I don't have measurements--it's something you do by gosh and by golly.
Also made barbecue sauce today so that first thing in the morning I can put my chuck roast and the sauce in the crockpot to cook all day. It's a recipe from Cook's Illustrated that I've used before, but this time I couldn't resist substituting dark molasses for dark brown sugar. We'll see.
And today I finally got ground lamb patties at Central Market--they make them with feta and mint, and they are delicious. One of the butchers told me to call ahead and order them, so I did when I ordered the chuck roast. I cooked half a pattie (they're 8 oz. patties) thinking I'd save half of that for lunch tomorrow--no such luck. I ate the whole thing.
Off to read a good mystery.
Brand new web page and other stuff
Please check out my new web page at http://www.judyalter.com. It's totally redesigned and features my forthcoming mystery, Skeleton in a Dead Space. One of the things people have so far really liked about it is the pictures of Kelly's neighborhood, Kelly being the main character in the novel. My friend Polly Hooper and I drove around Fort Worth's Fairmount neighborhood one Sat. afternoon while she took pictures. She's also responsible for my new picture on this blog and the web page. Great job, Polly, and many thanks. (She does this as a hobby!) Thanks also to Oscar Brown and his company who designed and will maintain the site. I'd love to have your comments.
Many parts of Texas got blessed rain today. I haven't watched TV for the official measurements or anything but the world was wet and muddy when I got up this morning. It's been so long since rain--BP as in before puppy--that I'd forgotten about the complications of dogs and mud and how much Scoob hates rain. I didn't mind dealing with it, nor did I mind that my newspaper was quite soggy. It rained, mostly just spitting, all morning. Luckily, I'm washable, even my hair--so I don't mind getting wet. The rain lowered the temperature some, but the humidity was so high it felt like a steam bath outside.
Jordan and Jacob came for lunch, and I'm not sure if it's harder to train the puppy or the boy. He wants to give her orders all the time, even when she's not doing anything bad. Today we worked on "If she's jumping on me, let me handle it; if she's jumping on you, then you tell her down." As it was, he was shouting "Down!" all the time. Sophie has truly been a pain today--I fear we'll never get house training done--she understands about outside, but if she has to go she doesn't think about it. She has "favorite" spots in the house. I read in the monks' book about training that you should never let a puppy see you clean up the accident--makes them think you're their housekeeper, and Sophie tends to think it playtime to see if she can grab the paper towel. So now, if I catch her in the act, I roar, rush her outside, by which time she's always forgotten what she wanted to do, and then put her in the crate while I clean up. There goes a chunk of time! She goes from chewing on wires to destroying the bottom shelf of my bookcase to escaping from the kitchen even when I'm working in there.
I did cook today. Made stuffed mushrooms with my mom's recipe for our lunch--had four mushrooms left from something else and Jordan loves them. Simple stuffing:
Grated cheddar
dry mustard
Worcestershire
chopped scallion
mayonnaise to bind
Bake in a moderate oven so the mushrooms will cook before the cheese runs all over the place. The cheese mixture is delicious just on bread, broiled. No, I don't have measurements--it's something you do by gosh and by golly.
Also made barbecue sauce today so that first thing in the morning I can put my chuck roast and the sauce in the crockpot to cook all day. It's a recipe from Cook's Illustrated that I've used before, but this time I couldn't resist substituting dark molasses for dark brown sugar. We'll see.
And today I finally got ground lamb patties at Central Market--they make them with feta and mint, and they are delicious. One of the butchers told me to call ahead and order them, so I did when I ordered the chuck roast. I cooked half a pattie (they're 8 oz. patties) thinking I'd save half of that for lunch tomorrow--no such luck. I ate the whole thing.
Off to read a good mystery.
Many parts of Texas got blessed rain today. I haven't watched TV for the official measurements or anything but the world was wet and muddy when I got up this morning. It's been so long since rain--BP as in before puppy--that I'd forgotten about the complications of dogs and mud and how much Scoob hates rain. I didn't mind dealing with it, nor did I mind that my newspaper was quite soggy. It rained, mostly just spitting, all morning. Luckily, I'm washable, even my hair--so I don't mind getting wet. The rain lowered the temperature some, but the humidity was so high it felt like a steam bath outside.
Jordan and Jacob came for lunch, and I'm not sure if it's harder to train the puppy or the boy. He wants to give her orders all the time, even when she's not doing anything bad. Today we worked on "If she's jumping on me, let me handle it; if she's jumping on you, then you tell her down." As it was, he was shouting "Down!" all the time. Sophie has truly been a pain today--I fear we'll never get house training done--she understands about outside, but if she has to go she doesn't think about it. She has "favorite" spots in the house. I read in the monks' book about training that you should never let a puppy see you clean up the accident--makes them think you're their housekeeper, and Sophie tends to think it playtime to see if she can grab the paper towel. So now, if I catch her in the act, I roar, rush her outside, by which time she's always forgotten what she wanted to do, and then put her in the crate while I clean up. There goes a chunk of time! She goes from chewing on wires to destroying the bottom shelf of my bookcase to escaping from the kitchen even when I'm working in there.
I did cook today. Made stuffed mushrooms with my mom's recipe for our lunch--had four mushrooms left from something else and Jordan loves them. Simple stuffing:
Grated cheddar
dry mustard
Worcestershire
chopped scallion
mayonnaise to bind
Bake in a moderate oven so the mushrooms will cook before the cheese runs all over the place. The cheese mixture is delicious just on bread, broiled. No, I don't have measurements--it's something you do by gosh and by golly.
Also made barbecue sauce today so that first thing in the morning I can put my chuck roast and the sauce in the crockpot to cook all day. It's a recipe from Cook's Illustrated that I've used before, but this time I couldn't resist substituting dark molasses for dark brown sugar. We'll see.
And today I finally got ground lamb patties at Central Market--they make them with feta and mint, and they are delicious. One of the butchers told me to call ahead and order them, so I did when I ordered the chuck roast. I cooked half a pattie (they're 8 oz. patties) thinking I'd save half of that for lunch tomorrow--no such luck. I ate the whole thing.
Off to read a good mystery.
August 12, 2011
Do you remember your dreams?
Jacob at Legoland, a dream come true for any little boyI dream vividly, in color, with sound effects. When I was working and more stressed than I recognized or care to remember, I had bizarre dreams. Now, in retirement, I often create a really plessant world in my dreams and reluctantly call myself back to reality when I wake--the reality of starting the morning routine with the cat, the puppy, and the old dog.Frequently I can connect things that happen in dreams to something from the real world. Last night, my ex-sister-in-law was in my dreams. No-brainer. I ran into her at lunch, and we promised to visit soon. There was a dog that kept jumping to get my face and hands--another no-brainer. That's my puppy. And there was a wild pig--my brother told me a day or two ago he's had an invasion of wild pigs on his ranch. Admittedly, this was the biggest wild pig you've ever seen and it had it's babies on its back, sort of like a pack mule with a load--I think that's because I've read about a couple of bear attacks on people when mama bear was protecting her cubs. My parents and brother were in the dream--but so was my grown nephew (his mother and I talked about him yesterday during our brief meeting). I often dream about the nuclear family of my childhood--Mom, Dad, and brother. Sometimes my children are in my dreams, young or grown--I can't predict it. My ex-husband appears too--sometimes in his charming mode that I fell in love with and sometimes ugly and vindictive. Strangely the two other men in my life that I've really loved never appear--I'd sort of like to call them up or back or whatever.
I do have a recurring dream about cleaning up a kitchen--mine or somebody else's. One night it was my mother's kitchen in Chicago, years ago. But as soon as I clean one counter, another one is dirty, and the task is endless.
One night I wrote a perfect mystery in my dream. It somehow was created on the theory of things happening in threes, and I remember that when I awoke I thought what a good story I'd written. But it faded soon after, and I never could figure out what happened. Strangely, I never dream about whatever I'm working on, though that's often the last thought on my mind before I go to sleep.
I looked up some facets of my dreams on one of those online sites, not that I put faith in such blanket interpretations. But dreaming about dogs is good. Pigs, not so good--some deep, hidden aspect of yourself that you're trying to conceal. But cleaning may mean that you're cleaning out old habits and ways of thinking and moving on to a new phase of your life. Now that interpretation I'll take.
Do you remember your dreams?
Jacob at Legoland, a dream come true for any little boyI dream vividly, in color, with sound effects. When I was working and more stressed than I recognized or care to remember, I had bizarre dreams. Now, in retirement, I often create a really plessant world in my dreams and reluctantly call myself back to reality when I wake--the reality of starting the morning routine with the cat, the puppy, and the old dog.Frequently I can connect things that happen in dreams to something from the real world. Last night, my ex-sister-in-law was in my dreams. No-brainer. I ran into her at lunch, and we promised to visit soon. There was a dog that kept jumping to get my face and hands--another no-brainer. That's my puppy. And there was a wild pig--my brother told me a day or two ago he's had an invasion of wild pigs on his ranch. Admittedly, this was the biggest wild pig you've ever seen and it had it's babies on its back, sort of like a pack mule with a load--I think that's because I've read about a couple of bear attacks on people when mama bear was protecting her cubs. My parents and brother were in the dream--but so was my grown nephew (his mother and I talked about him yesterday during our brief meeting). I often dream about the nuclear family of my childhood--Mom, Dad, and brother. Sometimes my children are in my dreams, young or grown--I can't predict it. My ex-husband appears too--sometimes in his charming mode that I fell in love with and sometimes ugly and vindictive. Strangely the two other men in my life that I've really loved never appear--I'd sort of like to call them up or back or whatever.
I do have a recurring dream about cleaning up a kitchen--mine or somebody else's. One night it was my mother's kitchen in Chicago, years ago. But as soon as I clean one counter, another one is dirty, and the task is endless.
One night I wrote a perfect mystery in my dream. It somehow was created on the theory of things happening in threes, and I remember that when I awoke I thought what a good story I'd written. But it faded soon after, and I never could figure out what happened. Strangely, I never dream about whatever I'm working on, though that's often the last thought on my mind before I go to sleep.
I looked up some facets of my dreams on one of those online sites, not that I put faith in such blanket interpretations. But dreaming about dogs is good. Pigs, not so good--some deep, hidden aspect of yourself that you're trying to conceal. But cleaning may mean that you're cleaning out old habits and ways of thinking and moving on to a new phase of your life. Now that interpretation I'll take.
August 10, 2011
Major breakthroughs in the animal kingdom--and a near a/c disaster
Sophie at 12 weeksTonight my 12-year-old Aussie, Scooby, played with the puppy. What an amazing accomplishment, since for over four weeks he's regarded her as, at the least, a severe annoyance. I had Sophie in the backyard, hoping she'd potty, and Jacob came out, leaving Scooby looking out the back door with a wistful look. I asked Jacob to let him out, and Jacob at first objected, but finally did. Sophie ran Scooby in circles around the yard--he can't catch her--and then came to sniff of him, and there was lots of mutual sniffing. I softly reminded Scoob to be gentle--once a male collie we had grabbed a Yorkie by the back of the neck, threw it up in the air and broke its back. So when I once saw Scoob's mouth go for the back of Sophie's neck, I said, "Be sweet," and he was. Mostly he was very gentle with her--he is the kindest, sweetest dog I've ever owned. Half the time when she was running in circles around the yard, he came to Jacob and me for love and got lots of it. I half think he figured out that by being mad at the puppy he was missing out on a lot of love--and tonight he got it. We brought them into the family room together, fed them treats, and the same pattern continued. Jacob and I high-fived and celebrated our accomplishment.Another breakthrough, I think: this is the first day we haven't had a potty accident in the house. Of course, it's only 9:30, but I'm optimistic. Right now there's a pooped puppy at my feet, and Jacob is contentedly watching his extra bit of TV. Scooby is in his bed, and the cat is fed and happy. All is peaceable in the animal kingdom.
As my Facebook friends know, my a/c went out during the night and by 3 a.m. it was 81 in the house. I posted it on FB just because I had to tell someone! I have been overwhelmed by the number of kind and generous responses--concern, offers of places to hide out (with my animals, which was my main concern--aging animals and a young puppy don't need an overheated house). Elizabeth, who has three indoor dogs and a cat, said we'd be Noah's Ark but we'd manage. I had offers from people I haven't seen in years, and expressions of concern from Sisters in Crime I've never met. It was like birthday greetings ten times over, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am.
I called the a/c company and left a message at 7 a.m. Before 8:30 I got a call that the tech was headed my way, and by 9 a.m. it was fixed. I had gone out at 7 to check, and the compressor was not doing its thing nor did it have a reset button. It was some minor part that had to be replaced, but while he was here the tech changed the furnace filter--only has to be done once a year now--and cleaned the compressor. I have done business with Rhinefort and Company since 2000, and I am so extremely thankful for their prompt and efficient service. I love being an established customer.
What a good day! I feel so much more in control than I did last night. Potluck with Judy got put off a night because I wanted to shout out my dog news, but watch for it tomorrow night: meatloaf. Who loves it, who hates it?
Major breakthroughs in the animal kingdom--and a near a/c disaster
Sophie at 12 weeksTonight my 12-year-old Aussie, Scooby, played with the puppy. What an amazing accomplishment, since for over four weeks he's regarded her as, at the least, a severe annoyance. I had Sophie in the backyard, hoping she'd potty, and Jacob came out, leaving Scooby looking out the back door with a wistful look. I asked Jacob to let him out, and Jacob at first objected, but finally did. Sophie ran Scooby in circles around the yard--he can't catch her--and then came to sniff of him, and there was lots of mutual sniffing. I softly reminded Scoob to be gentle--once a male collie we had grabbed a Yorkie by the back of the neck, threw it up in the air and broke its back. So when I once saw Scoob's mouth go for the back of Sophie's neck, I said, "Be sweet," and he was. Mostly he was very gentle with her--he is the kindest, sweetest dog I've ever owned. Half the time when she was running in circles around the yard, he came to Jacob and me for love and got lots of it. I half think he figured out that by being mad at the puppy he was missing out on a lot of love--and tonight he got it. We brought them into the family room together, fed them treats, and the same pattern continued. Jacob and I high-fived and celebrated our accomplishment.Another breakthrough, I think: this is the first day we haven't had a potty accident in the house. Of course, it's only 9:30, but I'm optimistic. Right now there's a pooped puppy at my feet, and Jacob is contentedly watching his extra bit of TV. Scooby is in his bed, and the cat is fed and happy. All is peaceable in the animal kingdom.
As my Facebook friends know, my a/c went out during the night and by 3 a.m. it was 81 in the house. I posted it on FB just because I had to tell someone! I have been overwhelmed by the number of kind and generous responses--concern, offers of places to hide out (with my animals, which was my main concern--aging animals and a young puppy don't need an overheated house). Elizabeth, who has three indoor dogs and a cat, said we'd be Noah's Ark but we'd manage. I had offers from people I haven't seen in years, and expressions of concern from Sisters in Crime I've never met. It was like birthday greetings ten times over, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am.
I called the a/c company and left a message at 7 a.m. Before 8:30 I got a call that the tech was headed my way, and by 9 a.m. it was fixed. I had gone out at 7 to check, and the compressor was not doing its thing nor did it have a reset button. It was some minor part that had to be replaced, but while he was here the tech changed the furnace filter--only has to be done once a year now--and cleaned the compressor. I have done business with Rhinefort and Company since 2000, and I am so extremely thankful for their prompt and efficient service. I love being an established customer.
What a good day! I feel so much more in control than I did last night. Potluck with Judy got put off a night because I wanted to shout out my dog news, but watch for it tomorrow night: meatloaf. Who loves it, who hates it?
August 9, 2011
The Animal Kingdom
My day did not get off to a good start today. I've gotten things down to a routine--feed the cat, take the puppy out and then put her in the bathroom while I feed Scooby and let him out. This morning, as I put her in the bathroom, Sophie escaped and led me on a merry chase. Finally cornered her in my closet but there went a good ten minutes, when I was rushing to get to an 8:30 breakfast. Back on track, but the remote for the kitchen TV wouldn't work--stuck on the Food Network channel, which I love during the day but in the morning I want news. Changed the batteries, pressed the AT&T button as I've been taught--nada. Still had those terrible television ads they run in the mornings.
Made the breakfast meeting--Book Ladies, a group of ladies whose professional lives have all had to do with books (librarians, authors, booksellers,, a woman who was once my editor at TCU Press) but had to rush away to take Sophie for another set of puppy shots. This is a two-person operation: because of the danger of parvo virus, I've been told to carry her in and not set her down until she's on the vet's table. This goes on until she's had all her shots--one more month. When we get back into the car, we have to disinfect the bottoms of our shoes! So my dining friend Betty goes with me. She decided this morning I should write a book about Sophie and the balky remote, but I told her it was barely worth a blog.
Sophie got left alone a lot though--I had a long and delightful lunch with a good friend today, home for a while, then a nap, and Sophie was back in her crate while I ran a friend to get her car. Then home and out again briefly but back into the crate while I went to dinner with the neighborhood crowd. She punished me by completely destroying the jacket of a book she somehow got out of the bookcase.What I have been told about her is true--she's much smarter than I am.
On another front, I asked the vet today about Scooby's back legs going out from under him, and she prescribed aspirin twice a day. Tonight, as I was late out the door for dinner, he barked insistently, so I let him out to pee, which he did. But he kept barking. I guess he was hungry. I sure hope he doesn't get to the point that he can't sleep through the night. Colin, my oldest, had a dog like that and every time Colin got up to let him out he ate a pbj--gained a lot of weight.
Things are still not peaceful in the animal kingdom. Sophie is going from one "No!" to another, Scooby is still outside. I have to feed Sophie and bring Scooby inside so I can take her out. Will this day never end? And writing, what's that?
Made the breakfast meeting--Book Ladies, a group of ladies whose professional lives have all had to do with books (librarians, authors, booksellers,, a woman who was once my editor at TCU Press) but had to rush away to take Sophie for another set of puppy shots. This is a two-person operation: because of the danger of parvo virus, I've been told to carry her in and not set her down until she's on the vet's table. This goes on until she's had all her shots--one more month. When we get back into the car, we have to disinfect the bottoms of our shoes! So my dining friend Betty goes with me. She decided this morning I should write a book about Sophie and the balky remote, but I told her it was barely worth a blog.
Sophie got left alone a lot though--I had a long and delightful lunch with a good friend today, home for a while, then a nap, and Sophie was back in her crate while I ran a friend to get her car. Then home and out again briefly but back into the crate while I went to dinner with the neighborhood crowd. She punished me by completely destroying the jacket of a book she somehow got out of the bookcase.What I have been told about her is true--she's much smarter than I am.
On another front, I asked the vet today about Scooby's back legs going out from under him, and she prescribed aspirin twice a day. Tonight, as I was late out the door for dinner, he barked insistently, so I let him out to pee, which he did. But he kept barking. I guess he was hungry. I sure hope he doesn't get to the point that he can't sleep through the night. Colin, my oldest, had a dog like that and every time Colin got up to let him out he ate a pbj--gained a lot of weight.
Things are still not peaceful in the animal kingdom. Sophie is going from one "No!" to another, Scooby is still outside. I have to feed Sophie and bring Scooby inside so I can take her out. Will this day never end? And writing, what's that?
